Bequia, St Vincent and the Grenadines
After a day of getting familiar with the sailing of our beautiful ship, the square-rigged and hand-sailed Sea Cloud II, the previous day and motoring in the lee of Martinique and St. Lucia overnight, we awoke in the Grenadines, politically part of the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines, an independent member of the British Commonwealth. They are an irregular chain of over 30 small islands and cays, interspersed with sandbars and reefs, of which fewer than a quarter are inhabited. Our port of call is by far the most charming and picturesque of the Grenadines, as well as the largest at six square miles – the island of Bequia (oddly pronounced "Beck’wee"!).
After sailing across St Vincent’s channel, once renowned and feared for piracy, we dropped anchor later in the morning in Admiralty Bay, to the north of Bequia, in front of the main settlement of Port Elizabeth. Our crew set up a beach station on the charming Princess Margaret beach, where we finally got to immerse ourselves in the warm Caribbean waters for the first time this trip. Some of us learnt to snorkel with our staff in preparation for the rest of the trip, whilst others enjoyed some aqua-aerobics with the Wellness Specialist, Helen. The waters were calm and clear, so several tropical reef fish species were seen closer to the rocks, and the fine sand and wonderful scenery of sculpted rocks and caves invited further exploration.
We returned aboard for a quick lunch before departing once more on our afternoon activities. We boarded open-backed trucks for a safari into the island, which is covered in lush tropical vegetation and offers spectacular views. A great highlight was stopping at the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, where a local fisherman named Brother Orton King has been since 1995. He is striving to restore the populations of his beloved hawksbill sea turtles along the local reefs by raising them throughout their first five most critical years.
After this, those who wanted some exercise got to hike the scenic 2.5 miles back to Port Elizabeth with Helen, whilst the rest continued on to the highest lookout point on Bequia, at Mount Pleasant, before returning to town. There was plenty of time to then explore Port Elizabeth, with its colourful markets, boat model ateliers, restaurants and bars, before returning to the ship for a deck buffet to the sounds of the local calypso band “Kings of Strings”, which had us dancing on deck under the stars – a great way to end a great day!
After a day of getting familiar with the sailing of our beautiful ship, the square-rigged and hand-sailed Sea Cloud II, the previous day and motoring in the lee of Martinique and St. Lucia overnight, we awoke in the Grenadines, politically part of the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines, an independent member of the British Commonwealth. They are an irregular chain of over 30 small islands and cays, interspersed with sandbars and reefs, of which fewer than a quarter are inhabited. Our port of call is by far the most charming and picturesque of the Grenadines, as well as the largest at six square miles – the island of Bequia (oddly pronounced "Beck’wee"!).
After sailing across St Vincent’s channel, once renowned and feared for piracy, we dropped anchor later in the morning in Admiralty Bay, to the north of Bequia, in front of the main settlement of Port Elizabeth. Our crew set up a beach station on the charming Princess Margaret beach, where we finally got to immerse ourselves in the warm Caribbean waters for the first time this trip. Some of us learnt to snorkel with our staff in preparation for the rest of the trip, whilst others enjoyed some aqua-aerobics with the Wellness Specialist, Helen. The waters were calm and clear, so several tropical reef fish species were seen closer to the rocks, and the fine sand and wonderful scenery of sculpted rocks and caves invited further exploration.
We returned aboard for a quick lunch before departing once more on our afternoon activities. We boarded open-backed trucks for a safari into the island, which is covered in lush tropical vegetation and offers spectacular views. A great highlight was stopping at the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, where a local fisherman named Brother Orton King has been since 1995. He is striving to restore the populations of his beloved hawksbill sea turtles along the local reefs by raising them throughout their first five most critical years.
After this, those who wanted some exercise got to hike the scenic 2.5 miles back to Port Elizabeth with Helen, whilst the rest continued on to the highest lookout point on Bequia, at Mount Pleasant, before returning to town. There was plenty of time to then explore Port Elizabeth, with its colourful markets, boat model ateliers, restaurants and bars, before returning to the ship for a deck buffet to the sounds of the local calypso band “Kings of Strings”, which had us dancing on deck under the stars – a great way to end a great day!
